Australian swimming legend Dawn Fraser says Nick D'Arcy should quit swimming after being dumped from the national squad for a second time.

The 21-year-old from the Sunshine Coast recently qualified for the world championships in Rome, but was dropped yesterday by Swimming Australia (SA) after he was given a 14-month suspended jail sentence for assaulting former swimmer Simon Cowley.

SA says the conviction means D'Arcy has breached one of its by-laws and he cannot compete.

Fraser says he should consider a career change.

"I think Nick D'Arcy will probably give up the sport and concentrate on his medical career," she said.

"I think if Nick were to get my advice, I would say, 'Nick, give up swimming mate, we know that you've proven yourself, but unfortunately you're not going to be able to go any further'."

Fraser knows what it is like to be on the wrong side of swimming officials.

She was initially banned from competing for 10 years after stealing a Japanese flag and wearing an unofficial swimsuit at the 1964 Olympics.

The eight-times Olympic medallist says it is a shame D'Arcy has been punished again.

"They should have told Nick prior to the titles that he wouldn't be chosen to represent Australia in Rome.

"I think that Swimming Australia is very at fault here."

Legal action

Meanwhile, D'Arcy may take legal action to get back on the team, but no final decision has been made.

His lawyer Jack Leitner says SA has acted inappropriately.

"Why is it that they've taken so long to make any determinations. They've sat back for all this time," he said.

"It had no communications with Nick in respect of any disciplinary proceedings. Without any notice of any board meeting taking place, Nick receives this letter yesterday. It is just absolutely outrageous."

D'Arcy's father Justin says SA's decision does not make sense.

"Nick's incident that he was involved in has been adequately dealt with by our peak sporting movement, the Australian Olympic Committee, and they've dealt with it quite severely, we all know that," he said.

"It is now seemingly a matter of every other sporting body just lining up to punish him for precisely the same thing."

'Confusing'

Sports psychologist Dr Phil Jauncey says he is puzzled by the decision and wants officials to explain their reasons.

"In most sports... they don't let you be competitive locally if you're not going to be competitive internationally," he said.

"So you would have thought that they would have told him, 'Sorry we are not allowing you back in because we don't think you have done the time yet for your crime'.

"And that's where probably we need to be told what's the logic of saying you're out now, you're in now. That's quite confusing."